It's after 4/15; program claims final deadline is May 30th.

[Crucial BBQ]

One of the programs I applied to claims that admissions decisions are made after the application has been returned from review, and, final decisions are sent to the University by May 30th at the latest.  The application deadline for this program was February 1st. 

 

I have not heard one word from the program since I have applied, yet, it is after the April 15th deadline for accepting an offer/rejecting an offer.  I am thinking that either I have been wait listed or that final decisions have yet to be made. The program is through one of four research facilities that are a part of the State public university system or at one of four universities that are also a part of the state university system. 

 

In looking at the Results page for this school/program, the las admit was listed on March 12th. Prior to that it lists a reject from April 30, 2012.  There are no listings in-between. With that I know that at least one applicant has received a decision over a month ago.   Along with that I assume I am wait listed because I have yet to hear anything either way and the the program surely knows about the April 15th "agreement".  

 

I don't have a question or a rant here other than I applied to this program a long time ago and thought I would have heard from them by now.  Not sure if it is good or bad that have yet to. 

 

Anyone else in a similar boat?  

Edited April 18, 2014 by Crucial BBQ

[RomulusAugustulus]

If they said you'd hear by May 30th, then you'll hear by May 30th. Not all schools abide the April 15th agreement. Also February 1st is a pretty late deadline as far as grad apps go, so I'm not surprised that they get decisions out later than a lot of other places. 

[TarynBF]

i am waiting on the last two of 9 schools I applied to.  One of them is my UG school and had an application deadline of Feb. 1. I applied on October 31 and have heard NOTHING from them.  I've followed up  a few times with the Admissions staff, who know me by first name. They had no news for me as of last weekend, but I was told that their decisions has to be made by April 15th and I would hear by postal mail.  Still NOTHING!  Verrrry frustrating. The other school I'm waiting on is in CA and I had a phone interview in early January, and nothing since!  I don't know if I'm on an unofficial waiting list for one or both, or they just don't want to tell me I've been rejected!

[Crucial BBQ]

If they said you'd hear by May 30th, then you'll hear by May 30th. Not all schools abide the April 15th agreement. Also February 1st is a pretty late deadline as far as grad apps go, so I'm not surprised that they get decisions out later than a lot of other places. 

May 30th is the deadline for the program to turn over their decisions to the University, not the date on which I can expect to hear a decision.  Two of the schools are members of the April 15 Resolution.  One of them, the state flagship, is both a top U.S. research institution and a top U.S. public.  This is the school that all applicants to the program apply through regardless of whichever university and/or lab becomes their parent institution.  

 

I also need to make a correction:  the preferred deadline was Dec. 1st with all supporting materials in by Jan. 1st.  February 1st. was the final deadline for for all applicants, domestic and international, to the program.  

[Crucial BBQ]

i am waiting on the last two of 9 schools I applied to.  One of them is my UG school and had an application deadline of Feb. 1. I applied on October 31 and have heard NOTHING from them.  I've followed up  a few times with the Admissions staff, who know me by first name. They had no news for me as of last weekend, but I was told that their decisions has to be made by April 15th and I would hear by postal mail.  Still NOTHING!  Verrrry frustrating. The other school I'm waiting on is in CA and I had a phone interview in early January, and nothing since!  I don't know if I'm on an unofficial waiting list for one or both, or they just don't want to tell me I've been rejected!

For what it is worth I do not see why a school/program would wait to inform an applicant they were rejected unless decisions are only announced on specific dates.  It seems to serve no purpose.  

[TakeruK]

For what it is worth I do not see why a school/program would wait to inform an applicant they were rejected unless decisions are only announced on specific dates.  It seems to serve no purpose.  

 

I think there are some purposes:

 

1. Schools might wait until they fill all of their spots before rejecting anyone in case too many of their accepted students decline the offer. But this does not exclude schools from rejecting the bottom half of their applicant pool soon, for example.

 

2. Schools often reject over 80% to 90% of their applicant pools. E.g. a school might accept 10 out of 200 applicants. Even if they only need to keep their top 30 applicants, they probably wouldn't want to send rejection emails to the other 170 people right away. During the decision period, they probably want to prioritize their time corresponding with the ones who are deciding whether or not to attend their school! It would make more sense to wait and inform the remaining 170 sometime later.